Quills and Guns: A Philippine History

So, after some "in-depth and extensive" research, I present to you a new TL by yours truly. Now, without further ado, let's get it on.


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Prologue



The Philippines first entered the annals of written history when Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan - after almost two years of searching the famed Spice Islands - set foot on Homonhon Island on March 17, 1521. The Europeans befriended some local chieftains and, on the island of Massaua, held the first ever mass in the archipelago's history.

It was the chief of Massaua, Rajah Siagu, that directed Magellan to the island of Cebu, a powerful state led by Rajah Humabon. With a stroke of luck, Magellan managed to secure an alliance with Humabon, and even managed to convert him, his wife, and his subjects to the Catholic faith.

Magellan, with Humabon's patronage, began to spread their faith amongst the other chiefs, and had collected tributes. But a serious opposition came from the island of Mactan; particularly its overlord, Datu Lapu-Lapu.

By Humabon's suggestion, Magellan decided to force Mactan to submit to Spanish suzerainty, and brought his men, along with native reinforcements, to Mactan. But the defiant datu had been waiting for them. A battle ensued on April 27 which, unexpectedly, end up in an upset victory. Lapu-Lapu's well-prepared warriors inflicted serious losses on the Spaniards. Even Magellan himself was severely wounded, but he managed to survive and was towed away in retreat.

Four days later, Humabon invited the surviving explorers for a feast, only to be betrayed by the rajah by killing them with poison. Among those who were killed were João Serrão and Duarte Barbosa, two of Magellan's lieutenants. There were survivors however, including Juan Sebastián Elcano who managed to inform Magellan (who didn't attend the banquet because of his wounds) of Humabon's betrayal. A furious Magellan gathered all the remaing crew and departed from Cebu, vowing to return and take the islands for the Spanish Crown.

After several months of sailing, Magellan finally reached Moluccas, the famed Spice Island. They rested, resupplied and gathered huge cargoes of highly-prized spices. By December Magellan, Elcano (now commander of the carrack Victoria), and his remaining ships sailed back to Europe, reaching Spain on September 1522. Magellan was a celebrated man. He carried with him several tons of spices, the proof that the world is round, and the story of his time in the Philippines which piqued the Spanish King's interest...

A new chapter in the history of the Philippines had begun.

Good start.

Take this to the present, if possible.

Magellan doesn't die, eh? Interesting start...

Unknown said:

Good start.

Take this to the present, if possible.

Click to expand...

I'll see what I could do about that.

Timeline of Philippine History

Here's another update. Enjoy.

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1525-1527
Three years after the end of Magellan's voyage, Spanish King Charles I funded a series of new expeditions, with the aim to finally claim Isla de San Lazaro as a permanent colony. The journeys were led by García Jofre de Loaísa (1525), Sebastian Cabot (1526) and Álvaro de Saavedra (1527), respectively. However, all of them ended up in failure: Loaísa, along with co-captain Sebastián Elcano, died in the middle of the voyage, while Cabot never reached the Pacific. Saavedra reached Moluccas, but died in a shipwreck while attempting to return back to New Spain.

1542-1543
After a long hiatus, Charles I funded another expedition, led by Ruy López de Villalobos. Villalobos had some success, as he reached the island of Mindanao.

1544
After several months of navigating through Mindanao, Villalobos finally reached Samar and Leyte, and gave it the name "Las Islas Filipinas", after Charles I's son, Infante Philip. The name would be later used for the whole archipelago.

1564
Philip II, the new King of Spain, ordered another expedition to the Philippines. Miguel López de Legazpi was appointed as it's leader. Fr. Andrés de Urdaneta, a survivor of the Loaísa Expedition, was assigned as navigator.


1565
February 13: After months of sailing, Legazpi finally reached the shores of Cebu.
February 22: After encountering fierce opposition from the natives, Legazpi's group left Cebu and found its way to Samar, and later to Bohol.
March 16: Legazpi secured an alliance with Datu Sikatuna through a blood compact.
April 27: Legazpi returned to Cebu. Rajah Tupas, the island's ruler, make battle with the Spaniards but suffered a decisive defeat. In the aftermath, Legazpi established a colony on the island, marking the beginning of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.

Timeline of Philippine History

1569
Due to insufficient food supply in Cebu, Legazpi transferred to the island of Panay, where he founded another settlement.

1570
Legazpi received rumors about the existence of rich and prosperous settlements north of Panay. In response, Legazpi instructed his lieutenant Martín de Goiti to sail northward. Goiti lands in the island of Luzon, and began exploring the interior. After several days, Goiti sailed again and this time he reached Manila Bay, where he found a thriving community off the coasts which belongs to the Kingdom of Maynila, an Islamic state south of the Pasig River. Goiti tried to have Maynila peacefully submit to Spanish control, but its leader Rajah Sulayman refused. Tensions between the two factions culminated into a battle, in which Goiti won. The now-vulnerable kingdom was claimed by Goiti for the Spanish Crown, and then returned to Panay to report his success.

1571
Legazpi, Goiti and the former's grandson, Juan de Salcedo led over 200 Spanish troops and 600 Visayan allies to Luzon. The fearful natives left Maynilà and evacuated north of the Pasig River, just before Legazpi arrived. After the Spaniards set foot on Manila Bay's shores, Legazpi proclaimed the establishment a new settlement on the ruins of old kingdom, naming it Manila, and declared it as the capital of the Spanish East Indies, serving as its first Governor-General. Additionally, Legazpi had also ordered the construction of a fort south of the Pasig River delta, later known as Intramuros. After securing the alliance with Lakan Dula of the Hindu-Islamic Kingdom of Tondo, Legazpi fought against the still-defiant Rajah Sulayman at Bangkusay, whose outcome cement Spanish overlordship in Luzon. This year also marked the beginning of the Galleon Trade.


1572
Legazpi died at the age of 70. He was succeeded in his post by Guido de Lavezaris, a veteran of the Villalobos Expedition


1574
The notorious Chinese pirate Limahong and his fleet attacked Manila and attempted to take it from Spain, but was defeated. Limahong later turned north, to Pangasinan, where he successfully established his own kingdom.

1575
Aware of the danger posed by Limahong, Juan de Salcedo led a combined Spanish-native army to attack Pangasinan. A battle in the Agno River destroyed most of Limahong's fleet while the land campaign was highly successful, putting Limahong's fort under siege for months. But as the Spaniards closed in, Limahong managed to escape to the South China Sea.

Timeline of World Events

1521
January 3: Martin Luther, founder of Protestantism, was excommunicated by Pope Leo X.
May-August: Spanish conquistador Hérnan Cortés along with local allies besieged the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Despite fierce resistance, the city fell and Emperor Cuauhtémoc was captured by the Spaniards, marking the end of the Aztec Empire and the start of the Spanish colonial era in Mexico.

1522
July-December: Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I launched a siege of Rhodes, held by the Knights Hospitaller. After months of holding out, the remaining Knights surrendered to the Ottomans.

1525
February 28: Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec Emperor, was executed on the orders of Hérnan Cortés.

1526
April: Babur conquers northern India and captured the city of Delhi, which marked the start of the Mughal Empire.

1529
April 22: The Treaty of Saragossa was signed by Portugal and Spain.
September 23-October 15: The Holy Roman capital of Vienna was put under siege by Suleiman I. The Ottoman failed to force the Habsburg monarchy into surrender. The event was noted as a turning point of the Ottoman invasions of Europe.

Interesting.

I just want to comment on this. Its quite odd you are just mostly writing history. I find it ASB when these are done since you already committed to a PoD and resume as if nothing has changed from OTL after the PoD especially if the PoD is worldpower/superpower and person that can change history or influence history.

An example of this is, Magellan alive means a lot of butterflies in Spain and in Europe. You also recognized Magellan being celebrated. He also was given by Charles V monopoly of all discover trade routes, governor of land/islands found,etc.

You mentioned Loaísa, Cabot and Saavedra. They shouldn't even be leading the voyage back to east indies if Magellan were alive. They were given that job in OTL since the man most qualified to lead that voyage is dead.

Would Columbus or the King allow, an unexperienced and uncelebrated man to lead Columbus second voyage instead of Columbus? Of course unless Columbus dies in his first voyage.

@Namayan

I knew someone will ask that.

Don't worry, all would be explained later on.

After his successful return to Cádiz, Spain in 1522, Ferdinand Magellan immediately went to Charles I in Madrid. He was well received by the king, and was especially delighted upon seeing so many crates of spices from Moluccas. Feast was held by to celebrate Magellan's feat.

However, after more than a week of celebrations, things began to change. As Antonio Pigafetta wrote, "...the week following his (Magellan) return was the best days of his life. But after that, what followed was the worst." When Magellan tried to visit his family, he received a very shocking news: his wife and his child had passed away the previous year. Historians had generally described the incident as a turning point in Magellan's life. From there he became melancholic and depressed. Sebastián Elcano had then noted that "(...) he (Magellan) was different. He's not the same man from those years ago. He doesn't have that kind vigour, enthusiasm and determination anymore. He even rejected a request from the King for join in a expedition to the New World, citing various petty reasons, including mourning for his late wife."

But little did Magellan's acquaintances know, that the famous explorer's old battle wounds in Mactan had slowly began to take a toll on his body. Since late December 1522, there were records of Magellan experiencing minor bleeding, occasional vomiting and difficulty in walking properly. His visits to the royal court became more rare. By late March 1523, Magellan's condition worsened that he was confined to his home. On April 27, he died peacefully in his sleep.

Magellan's sudden demise was a big shock, and a major setback, for Spain. Historians had long theorized that had he lived much longer, Magellan would've been the leader of a much larger expedition to the Far East, and his expertise would have given Spain the edge over Portugal in the fast-growing colonial race.

Whatever might happened, Magellan's legacy has been secured. His voyage had finally put an end to the endless speculations about the Earth's true shape, and had found new trade routes for the Europeans that could circumvent the Ottoman Blockade. And it had also paved way to the discovery of new lands in the Far East bringing the Age of Discovery into a whole new level.

Timeline of Philippine History

1593
Doctrina Christiana, the first printed book in the Philippines, was published.

1594
Governor Luis Pérez Dasmariñas founded a settlement for newly-converted Chinese immigrants. Placed north of the Pasig River, the settlement rapidly expanded and would later be known as the district of Binondo, the oldest Chinatown in the world.

1600
A Dutch fleet led by Olivier van Noort attacked Manila, but was repulsed by the Spanish forces.
The trade route between Manila and Acapulco, Mexico was officially established.

1611
The University of Santo Tomas, Asia's oldest university, was founded as a college.


1614
After being expelled from Japan by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japanese samurai Dom Justo Takayama and 300 more Japanese Christians arrived at Manila, where they are welcomed by Spaniards, and settled at Dilao district (present-day Paco), establishing the first Japantown in the Philippines.

Very good updates.

Waiting for more.

Yay, a Japantown in Manila!

Consider this subscribed, looking forward to another update.

Nice Timeline Sir! Will we see any in depth changes of how the Spanish treats the natives and its effect on how the native view their occupiers?

JMC23 said:

Nice Timeline Sir! Will we see any in depth changes of how the Spanish treats the natives and its effect on how the native view their occupiers?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, no. But we will see later on, when the butterflies finally begin their rampage . But no promises.

I think at that time, the UST campus was located within the walls of Intramuros, so I think you should replace the photo of present-day campus.

I would really like to see the more nationalism-instilled Filipinos rather than OTL colonially minded brown indios we see study. how about PODing this revolt. I just quoted this from wikipedia.

The Pampanga Revolt was an uprising in 1585 by some native Kapampangan leaders who resented the Spanish landowners, or encomenderos who had deprived them of their historical land inheritances as tribal chiefs|Datus. The revolt included a plot to storm Intramuros, but the conspiracy was foiled before it could begin after a Filipino woman married to a Spanish soldier reported the plot to the Spanish authorities. Spanish and Filipino colonial troops were sent by Governor-General Santiago de Vera, and the leaders of the revolt were arrested and summarily executed by Christian Cruz-Herrera.

Click to expand...

Or making the Spanish more discriminating in treatment of the Chinese. and thus, having a larger rebellion.

Timeline of World Events

1532
May: Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his men landed on northern, starting the final conquest of the Inca Empire.
December: Spanish forces fought the Inca at Cajamarca, where Pizarro successfully captured the Inca Emperor Atahualpa following a crushing victory. The event marked the beginning of the end for the Inca Empire.

1533
July: Atahualpa was executed under Pizarro's orders.
November: Pizarro's forces arrived at the Inca capital of Cuzco.

1534
St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuits.

1535
Pizarro founded the city of Lima as the capital of the Spanish colony of Peru

1542
A Portuguese ship bound for China was blown off course and instead landed on the island of Tanegashima in Japan, making it the first contact between the Japanese and the Westerners.

1543
Nicolaus Copernicus published a book containing his arguments about the Heliocentric Theory of Universe.

1544
Some Portuguese explorers sighted an island near the Chinese mainland. Due to its beautiful landscape they named it Ilha Formosa (beautiful island).

A very friendly reminder:

ramones1986 said:

I think at that time, the UST campus was located
within the walls of Intramuros, so I think you should replace the photo of present-day campus.

Click to expand...

Why is everything otl even after a pod.

If a pod will be committed and significant, the story shouldn't mirror otl. If pod is insignificant to affect otl, it is not worth to mention and just write otl history after the pod.

Spain and Magellan were made like insignificant nobodys who has little to no affect on otl history. Magellan was still alive for a year or so to go back to Spain and be celebrated. One year is enough to pollute the timeline.

In any case, Better to proceed to the PoD that will create ATL since everybody knows OTL.